WACO, Texas β In nine previous games, even including a two-point win over Pepperdine, you could argue that Arizona really hadnβt been tested until it traveled to Baylor on Saturday.
The Wildcats played six straight games at home to start, with marquee visitors such as Illinois (6-3) and New Mexico State (5-5) not quite as strong as expected and plus-300 Kenpom teams San Jose State and NAU also visiting McKale Center.
Then there was the relatively weak field and empty atmosphere of the Wooden Legacy, with βnameβ teams Providence (5-5) and Wake Forest (5-5) stuck in mediocrity, and Arizona actually struggling the most with the midmajor Waves of Malibu.
So when the Wildcats lost their first game Saturday, 63-58 to Baylor, the lessons came in bunches.
Among them:
1. A little more offensive patience might be helpful at times
While rightly giving credit to Baylorβs defense for helping keep Arizona to just 26.9% shooting on Saturday, UA coach Sean Miller said the Wildcats also had to be careful with shooting too quickly, that βweβre not always going to be able to shoot the ball in the first 10 or 15 seconds.β
ESPN analyst Jimmy Dykes said as much during the broadcast, noting after Josh Green missed a 3 on the break late in the first half that UA was βplaying a little too fast.β
Miller said after the game that he needed to view the video to be sure, but a look back at the ESPN replay showed that on five of the Wildcatsβ 16 misses from 3-point range, they took ill-advised or quick shots.
There were two other tough 3s that were missed, from Max Hazzard in the first half and from Nico Mannion early in the second, but both were taken out of necessity as the Wildcats neared the end of the shot clock.
βWe just have to be a better overall team with patience and getting deeper into the clock and a halfcourt,β Miller said. βItβs not always going to be a shot taken in the first 10 or 15 second. Itβs just not.
βThat seems to be the fun narrative. But you play against really solid, good teams, the season gets older and grows, teams improve, (you) play away from home games β you have to be able to score at the end of the clock and you have to execute. Thatβs something weβre working to get better at for sure.β
2. More toughness is needed
While the Wildcats avoided a complete meltdown on the glass like they had a year earlier against Baylor, when the Bears outrebounded them by 32, they were still outrebounded by seven this time and allowed Baylor 13 offensive rebounds that led to 12 second-chance points.
And UA still allowed Baylor reserve forward Mark Vital, who had 17 against them last season, to pick up seven in just 14 minutes.
In addition, Arizona bigs Chase Jeter (1-5), Zeke Nnaji (3-6) and Ira Lee (0-2) combined for just 4-for-13 shooting inside. After Jeter tried to put in a four-footer in the paint that was blocked, Dykes took him to task.
βYou cannot miss a three-footer in a game like this and Jeter has missed three or four of them all by himself,β Dykes said. βThat should have been an automatic dunk and possibly an and-one (by also drawing a foul). Just not strong enough, not determined enough and not tough enough to get the ball up and down.β
After the game, Jeter said learning to play tougher will help the Wildcats later this season and into Pac-12 play.
βIf we make it to the tournament, weβre going to see some tough teams and in Pac 12 conference play,β Jeter said. βSo (itβs) kind of gauging that physicality level, understanding that thereβs going to be teams that are tough matchups for us and weβve just ultimately got to shoot the ball better.β
3. They can draw fouls, and take advantage
Saturdayβs game didnβt become a blowout largely because the Wildcats took a season-high 34 trips to the free-throw line. There, UAβs shots werenβt rushed or contested β and they made 28 of the ensuing free throws (82.4%).
βWeβve got to credit ourselves for that,β said Jeter, who made 9 of 10 free throws.
Koloko has skills
With Stone Gettings out indefinitely with a concussion and facial fracture, the Wildcats had to turn more often to Christian Koloko, who only played in five of UAβs first nine games but was given a season-high-tying 12 minutes Saturday.
Koloko didnβt get a rebound but scored three points, blocked two shots and dished two assists β including a behind-the-back flick to Jeter under the basket for a first-half bucket.
βI thought Christian was a real bright spot for our team,β Miller said. βHe had one of the most clever behind-the-back passes Iβve seen a big man have. He blocked two shots, played with poise, gave us some much-needed depth inside.β
5. Mannionβs health is paramount
Mannion had plenty of his trademark floaters and perfectly placed assists Saturday, he was just 3 of 14 from the field and had an average ballhandling day of five assists to three turnovers.
In two games since Mannion put on a masterful 11-for-14 shooting display against Penn on Nov. 29 β and started experiencing back spasms β Mannion has shot a collective 6 for 25 from the field.
Miller said both Mannion and Green (illness) did the best they could despite missing significant practice time last week, while Jeter said it was hardly their fault, anyway.
βI think itβs difficult for anybody to miss practices due to illness and injury but we were able to get those guys back and healthy,β Jeter said. βI wouldnβt I wouldnβt put that to say theyβre not being at their best. I just think we didnβt have a great day as a group.β
